1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of mounting electronic parts, in which transfer heads are horizontally moved so as to transfer and mount electronic parts onto a board.
2. Related Art
There is known an electronic parts-mounting apparatus in which a transfer head is moved horizontally in directions X and Y by an X-Y table mechanism so as to transfer and mount electronic parts, stored in an electronic parts supply portion, onto a board. The electronic parts-mounting apparatus of this kind has advantages in that its construction is simple and that various kinds of electronic parts different in shape and size can be mounted on the board. However, such an apparatus has a disadvantage that the parts-mounting speed is somewhat low since the transfer head must be horizontally moved a long stroke in the directions X and Y.
In order to overcome the above disadvantage, it might be considered to provide an arrangement in which a plurality of electronic parts mounting apparatuses are arranged in a juxtaposed manner, and these electronic parts-mounting apparatuses affect their respective allotted portions of the parts-mounting operation for a single board. In this case, however, unless the layout of the electronic parts-mounting apparatuses is suitably determined, a large installation space is required, and besides the parts-mounting speed is not enhanced. Particularly, the boards, on which the electronic parts are to be mounted, are frequently changed from one kind to another, and when the kind of the boards is changed, a parts-mounting program is also changed. Therefore, the above arrangement is required to be able to suitably deal with a change in the kind of the boards.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an electronic parts-mounting apparatus in which electronic parts can be efficiently mounted on a board or a substrate at high speed.
Another object of the invention is provide an electronic parts-mounting apparatus in which the layout of the apparatus can be suitably changed in accordance with the kind of boards or substrates to be used.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for and a method of mounting electronic parts, in which the picking-up of electronic parts, as well as the recognition of the positions of these electronic parts, can be effected at high speed.
According to one aspect of the present invention, here is provided an electronic parts-mounting apparatus comprising a plurality of unit electronic parts-mounting apparatuses each comprising (a) a bed, (b) a board or substrate transfer path provided on the bed, (c) an even number of X-Y table mechanisms which are provided above the bed, and are arranged symmetrically in a direction X and a direction Y as viewed from the top, (d) an even number of head portions provided respectively at the even number of X-Y table mechanisms, and (e) electronic parts supply portions provided on opposite sides of the transfer path for supplying electronic parts to the even number of head portions; the plurality of unit electronic parts-mounting apparatuses being adapted to be arranged in such a juxtaposed manner that the transfer paths of the unit electronic parts-mounting apparatuses may be linearly continuous with each other.
Preferably, the head portion has a plurality of nozzles arranged in a circle, and the electronic parts supply portion comprises parts feeders juxtaposed to each other in the direction X, and the distance between the adjacent nozzles in the direction X is an integral multiple of a pitch of the juxtaposed parts feeders, so that at least two electronic parts can be picked up simultaneously by at least two of the plurality of nozzles, respectively.
Preferably, the head portion has a plurality of nozzles arranged in a circle, and recognition units for the electronic parts are provided on the opposite sides of the transfer path, and the head portion is movable to a position above the associated recognition unit, so that images of at least two of the electronic parts, held respectively by the plurality of nozzles by suction, may be picked up simultaneously and whereby the positions of these electronic parts may be recognized.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an electronic parts-mounting apparatus comprising (a) a bed, (b) a board or substrate transfer path provided on the bed, (c) an even number of X-Y table mechanisms which are provided above the bed, and are arranged symmetrically in a direction X and a direction Y as viewed from the top, (d) an even number of head portions provided respectively at the even number of X-Y table mechanisms, (e) electronic parts supply portions provided on opposite sides of the transfer path for supplying electronic parts to the even number of head portions, and (f) means for defining between the adjacent electronic parts supply portions a space for an operator to enter.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an electronic parts-mounting apparatus comprising (a) a bed, (b) a board or substrate transfer path provided on the bed, (c) an X-Y table mechanism movable in a direction X and a direction Y above the bed, (d) a head portion provided at the X-Y table mechanism, and (e) an electronic parts supply portion provided on a side of the transfer path for supplying electronic parts to the head portion; the head portion comprising a plurality of nozzles arranged in a circle and each having an axis, means for moving the nozzles upward and downward, and rotation means for rotating the nozzles in a direction xcex8 or about their axes.
Preferably, the rotation means comprises a plurality of gears for respectively rotating the plurality of nozzles, and a gear which is provided at a central portion of the head portion and is in mesh with the plurality of gears so as to transmit a drive force from a drive source thereto.
The gear for transmitting the drive force from the drive source may be a double-gear having upper and lower gears. Further, it is preferable that the distance between the adjacent nozzles in the direction X is an integral multiple of a pitch of juxtaposed parts feeders in the electronic parts supply portion.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided an electronic parts-mounting method wherein an even number of head portions are moved above a board or substrate transfer path, and electronic parts are picked up from electronic parts supply portions by nozzles of the head portions, respectively, and are transferred to and mounted on a board or a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
setting an electronic parts-mounting program in such a manner that the times, required respectively for the even number of head portions to effect the mounting of the electronic parts, are generally equal to one another;
moving the even number of head portions in a direction X and a direction Y in accordance with the program respectively by an even number of X-Y table mechanisms provided above the transfer path;
holding and picking up the electronic parts, stored in the electronic parts supply portions provided on opposite sides of the transfer path, respectively by lower ends of the nozzles of each head portion by suction; and
transferring and mounting the picked-up electronic parts onto the board.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an electronic parts-mounting method wherein a head portion is moved above a board or substrate transfer path, and electronic parts are picked up from electronic parts supply portions by nozzles of the head portion, respectively, and are transferred to and mounted on a board or a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
projecting at least one of the nozzles arranged in a circle in the head portion;
moving the head portion downward; picking up the electronic part from the electronic parts supply portion by the projected nozzle;
moving the head portion upward after the electronic part is picked up; and
repeating the above steps, thereby causing all of the nozzles to pick up the electronic parts, respectively.
In the above method, preferably, the distance between the adjacent nozzles in a direction X is an integral multiple of a pitch of juxtaposed parts feeders in the electronic parts supply portion, and a plurality of electronic parts are picked up simultaneously.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided an electronic parts-mounting method wherein a head portion is moved above a board or substrate transfer path, and electronic parts are picked up from electronic parts supply portions by nozzles of the head portion, respectively, and images of the picked-up electronic parts are picked up by a recognition unit, and whereby the positions of the electronic parts are recognized, and subsequently the electronic parts are transferred to and mounted on a board or a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
moving the electronic parts, picked up respectively by all of the nozzles, which are arranged in a circle in the head portion, to a position above the recognition unit;
picking up simultaneously the images of at least two of the electronic parts, picked up respectively by all of the nozzles;
recognizing the positions of the electronic parts after picking up the images thereof; and
correcting the positions of the electronic parts in accordance with results of the recognition, and subsequently mounting the electronic parts on the board.
In the above construction, the even number of head portions of each unit electronic parts-mounting apparatuses mount the electronic parts on the board. The plurality of unit electronic parts-mounting apparatuses are juxtaposed to each other, and the number of the unit electronic parts-mounting apparatuses is determined in accordance with the kind of the boards to be used. In this case, those unit electronic parts-mounting apparatuses, which are not necessary for the electronic parts-mounting operation, are not used, or are moved to another place so as to effect an electronic parts-mounting operation in another production line.
The plurality of nozzles of the head portion are arranged in a circle, and with this arrangement, two electronic parts can be picked up simultaneously from the parts feeders, respectively, and also the positions of the two electronic parts can be recognized simultaneously.